


The Warmth of Your Presence

by Talinor



Series: Keitor Week 2017 [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Co-Pilots Keith and Lotor (Voltron), Cuddling, Huddling For Warmth, M/M, Pining Lotor (Voltron), Post-Season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-28 08:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12602688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talinor/pseuds/Talinor
Summary: Keitor Week- Day 5: BondingThey were stuck there until the Paladins managed to find them through the hellish blizzard outside. What else could they do to prevail through the long night hours but huddle for warmth?Lotor was the one to bring up the idea. Both their armors had temperature regulation built in, but the temperature was so low in the small cave that even those were barely working. Generating heat biologically wasn't much better on top of that, but it was a start. It would make sure neither of them froze to death in their sleep, at least.





	The Warmth of Your Presence

**Author's Note:**

> you know that one trope of 'talking/confessing to someone while they're ""asleep"" '?  
> yeah  
> I love that trope  
> enjoy!

It was absolutely _freezing._ Two still completely armored bodies lay on the floor of an icy cave intertwined in every comfortable point possible, only filling the air with soft puffs of breath and the occasional mumble or shift to a more comfortable position. They were stuck there until the Paladins managed to find them through the hellish blizzard outside. What else could they do to prevail through the long night hours but huddle for warmth?

 

Lotor was the one to bring up the idea. Both their armors had temperature regulation built in, but the temperature was so low in the small cave that even those were barely working. Generating heat biologically wasn't much better on top of that, but it was a start. It would make sure neither of them froze to death in their sleep, at least.

 

Of course, Keith objected to that suggestion. He made his rejection of such an idea perfectly clear- even once bringing up that he'd rather freeze to death first. _"Just because we pilot a ship together doesn't mean we have to be close,"_ he'd said rather grumpily. _"Especially not that close. We'll survive without resorting to that, Lotor."_

 

Yet lo and behold, an hour into vainly reaching for even a bit of sleep, Lotor feels arms wrap around him. Through his darkened visor, he sees the ominous Blade of Marmora mask burrowing into his side. He can't see Keith's face underneath of course, but he doesn't need to. He knows exactly what expression his fellow pilot is wearing.

 

 _"Well, well, well,"_ Lotor had said, not bothering to hide his amusement at the turn of events. _"Look who's here. I thought you said you'd rather freeze to death before resorting to this. What changed your mind, Keith?"_

 

 _"Shut up,"_ Keith had grumbled threateningly, yet still burrowed more into Lotor's warm side. _"What happens in this cave doesn't leave it. Ever."_ He'd tilted his head up ever so slowly. The three purple circles on his mask stared at him. _"This doesn't change anything between us."_

 

Lotor had smiled down at him fondly, comfortable in the knowledge that it couldn't be seen. _"Of course,_ he'd said, shifting his body and letting Keith move up it. His own arms had found a bit of solace in Keith's warmth. _"Whatever you say goes, my friend."_

 

Keith hadn't responded openly to that. Just buried his sleek metal 'face' into Lotor's neck and mumbled something he couldn't have a hope of interpreting. It was surely something cross and absolutely adorable, for that was purely Keith's element in working with him.

 

Hours later, and they were still there. Lotor was the first to wake up- listening to Keith's slow and calm breaths made that clear pretty quickly. Their visors were forehead to forehead, gently pressed against each other. Nearly point that could touch was- and quite openly, at that.

 

For a time, Lotor simply... didn't move at all. He didn't want to. It was extremely rare for the two of them to actually cooperate outside of battle, and this was definitely more than just _'cooperation'._ Not to mention it was rare to see Keith so... purely _relaxed._ He was apparently free and pliant as a feather in his sleep, unburdened by the shackles of waking life.

 

Not to mention, Keith was... surprisingly clingy in his sleep. Once, Lotor tried to shift out of his reach without waking him. He was still deeply asleep, but he groaned in protest loudly. His unconscious hands instinctively clenched tightly, holding Lotor in his rightful place. And not gently in the slightest either. They only eased when Lotor moved back into his embrace, Keith letting out a contented sigh. Likely in reaction to his subconscious win.

 

It wasn't the worst struggle to lose. Especially not to an admittedly quite attractive man, even if you couldn't currently see his expression.

 

Despite the situation they were flung into unceremoniously, this was... rather nice. He liked this- this unabashed moment, this candid look at who the former Paladin of Voltron really was, this opportunity to see what it was like not being at each other's throats for once- and he could admit in the safety of his own mind that he liked this... a lot more than he thought he would. At first he did it just to get under Keith's skin, but without any assistance from him, it grew and evolved into _this._

 

Part of him wondered how deeply Keith was asleep. There was only one way to test that.

 

"You know," Lotor said softly, voice barely above a whisper. "You're a quite talented person, Kogane."

 

Nothing. The only thing he could possibly count as any kind of reaction was a slight hitch of breath before the lulling rhythm continued once more. That knowledge filled him with a newfound confidence and drive to continue. After all, as long as he stayed quiet about it, there was no danger to whatever he said. He could say anything right now and get away with it.

 

"You're not the best warrior I've seen yet," Lotor confessed. "Not even close, really. But you have the potential to be." His shrug was kept slight to act as a mere shift in position. "And truthfully? I can see why you'd turn to the Blades. You relate to them, and you feel as though you can do the most good there." He couldn't help but smile. "Not to mention their uniform looks _very_ good on you." His embrace around Keith tightened slightly for a second. "I mean, I'm not blind after all."

 

Still no reaction. Just puffs of breath and the whirling winds outside of their little icy paradise. So Lotor continued.

 

"...But," he sighed. "I feel as though they're not what you need to advance yourself." His face fell as he remembered how they first met. In summary, Keith had tried to kill himself to save the universe. Noble, yet foolish. "They teach you that you're disposable. That it doesn't matter what happens to you personally, so long as it helps against the Empire." He brows furrowed. "Yet that's exactly the tactic the Empire employs, just with more mindless genocide and less stealthy reconnaissance under my Father's influence." 

 

His grip softened, as did his expression. "It took a long time for me to realize this," he confessed. "And believe me, it's still an uphill struggle sometimes. But you have _worth,_ Keith. You must remember that." He pulled Keith just a bit closer. "Your life only has no meaning if you believe so."

 

The breathing rhythm stopped. It grew a bit faster, chest rising and falling flush against his own.

 

"Ah, Keith," Lotor said welcomingly. "Glad to see you're awake, I-"

 

Keith didn't even let him finish. "Did you mean that?" He cut in. "What you just said?"

 

Lotor froze in place. "...How much did you hear?"

 

"All of it."

 

Well... _quiznak._ This was going to be difficult to explain. Might as well get it over with and try to patch up the pieces (or just ignore them altogether) later, in a safer place. "Well... yes, of course," he confessed. "But I thought-"

 

 _"Shh,"_ Keith cut in once more. "You don't need to explain it, just..." He rested his head on Lotor's shoulder. "Thank you. And... maybe you're not the worst thing ever." His hands roamed up from Lotor's sides to rest on his chest. "Not to mention your armor looks, uh... pretty nice, too."

 

With a man like Keith, that was one hell of a start. He'd take it.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always appreciated!  
> my tumblr: squishy--squish


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